


Episode 1: Darkness brings with it Adventure

by MaryisaWizard



Series: Doctor Who The Missing Season [1]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Doctor Who Missing Season, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-21
Updated: 2014-04-21
Packaged: 2018-01-20 05:54:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1499107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaryisaWizard/pseuds/MaryisaWizard
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the Doctor is having a particularly dull day a distress signal promises new adventures! What will be waiting for him behind those TARDIS doors? and will it only be the beginning?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Episode 1: Darkness brings with it Adventure

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first episode in a Doctor Who season i wrote a couple years ago. I am finally getting around to writing it down (mostly because my sister wants to read it :P)! i hope someone else will find it enjoyable as well!

 

_**Doctor Who: The Missing Season** _

**Episode One**

**Darkness Brings with it Adventure**

 

 

 

 

A Map goes flying across the TARDIS control room joining the other rejected galaxies that are currently scattered about the floor. Soft angry mumbling can be heard from the Doctor as he searches through a large chest that had been dragged into the main area. After tossing a few other smaller parchments behind him, the Doctor picks out a rather large picture of a Nebula and turns it around a few times. “Looks rather like an apple with a bite out of it, doesn't it?” The TARDIS creaks as if in answer. “Well, let’s give it go!”

He places the map on top of the console and makes sure the map is secure before covering his eyes with one hand and waving his other, pointer finger out-stretched, before dropping it onto the map. The Doctor peaks out from around his fingers to see what he has picked.

“No, not there.”

He resumes his previous position; eyes covered, waving his pointer finger, and drops it back down onto the map. He takes his hand off of his eyes and looks again.

“No, certainly not.”

He squeezes his eyes shut, picks up his hand, drops it again and looks down.

“Oh come now, it’s all marsh and mud there!”

He repeats the action several more times before he pushes the map angrily off of the console and watches it fall onto the growing pile of papers on the floor. “No, no, no, NO!” Grunting in frustration he grabs his pointer finger and shakes it violently, “You are NOT HELPING!!”

The TARDIS creeks and moans again. “Neither are you!” he replies before a beeping comes from the other side of the TARDIS console.

“I take it back! You’re wonderful!” the Doctor says to the TARDIS before looking back at his pointer finger still gripped by his other hand and screams at it, “Ha!”

Running over to the small flashing light, the Doctor fills with excitement as he enters the Coordinates of the signal. “A distress signal, much better than a stupid old marsh.” He mutters as the TARDIS begins its flight. “You always know just what I need darling.” He says smiling as he pats the TARDIS console. After a few moments the ship jerks into a landing and the Doctor runs over to the doors and pulls them open jumping out into the unknown darkened area.

The Doctor surveys his surroundings noting that he is in a dimly lit room with what seems to be flashing emergency lights. The walls are made of metal and there is a strange slime splattered on them.

“Well this looks sufficient enough to stymie my boredom!” the Doctor turns around, locks the TARDIS and then continues out of the room into an equally dim lit corridor.

 

* * *

 

 

 

The corridor doesn't seem to be much different than the room; dark, slime on the walls, and flashing lights. It leads the Doctor to a connecting service tunnel that stretches to the right and to the left, both paths falling into darkness. The Doctor ponders for a bit before going down the right side only to stop suddenly when gun shots break the silence in the tunnel behind him. He backs up to the tunnel entrance and leans towards the left side listening. Hearing the gun shots again he turns and heads down the left path.

When the gun shot sound dissipates a distinct sound of scratching on metal can be heard and it’s not long before the Doctor can see something crawling on the tunnel walls towards him. The creature crawls closer to the ceiling and stops as the Doctor approaches and stares at it.

“Interesting.”

The creature tenses and curls up as the Doctor leans closer to examine it. It looks ready to pounce but just as a hiss emanates from what has to be its head a laser shoots out from the darkness and the creature is blasted off the wall. A young soldier runs up looking concerned as the Doctor coughs and waves away the smoke remnants from the blast.

“That…was a close one.” The soldier said out of breath as he grabbed the doctor by the arm and led him down the other way.

“The tunnel is completely infested that way. No one left alive. I barely got out myself. Glad I did though, that thing was going to tear you apart in only a few moments more.” The soldier continued to pull the Doctor through the service tunnel until they came to a door and let go in order to open it.

“Not sure who you are or how you got down here though.” The young man said as he turned the handle roughly and pulled the door open with a hard tug.

“I received your Distress signal, came straight down.” The Doctor replied before going through the door the solider held open for him. After they were both through and the door was pulled firmly shut, the doctor turned to the young man and held out his hand.

“I’m the Doctor.”

“Cadet number 75641.” He said taking the Doctor’s hand as the Doctor’s face scrunched up as if smelling something rotten.

“Don’t you have a proper name?”

“Oh yes sorry sir. We don’t really use them here. It used to be Mark.” The soldier said while looking to the side in concentration. “Yes, Mark Porter it was.” Mark smiled before gesturing for the Doctor to follow him.

“Thanks for coming sir, we have a Hospital transport ship docked but they won’t risk contamination.”

“They aren't letting you on board?”

“No sir, not until we can isolate the creatures.”

“Ah yes the Tarnakids. Got quite a good look at one before you disintegrated it. A rather large one, seems you have a pretty bad infestation of them here.”

“You know these creatures then sir?”

“It’s the Doctor, Mark, and yes! Read all about them in a book I had once. ‘Dangerous Beasts in Dangerous Places’ it was called. As I recall, I think a gorpish ate it. Rather peaceful creatures but have quite a big appetite! Even for books! Maybe it was upset it wasn't in the book though.”

“Sir?”

"These Tarnakids on the other hand, they can be quite nasty which makes me wonder what you were doing back there all alone.”

“I was sent to scout, see if there were any other survivors, and find where the majority of the creatures were concentrating. The superior officers are working on the next move and I’m deemed expendable so they only send us one at a time.”

“Expendable?” the Doctor stops walking and angrily shouts “No one is expendable Mark!”

“Well I’m only a level two sir.”

“I’m not sure what being a level two has to do with you risking your life.” The Doctor scoffs frustrated and Mark grabs him by the arm again.

“We should get moving sir.” He says looking past the Doctor who turns around and squints at the dim hallway where at the very end the walls seem to be moving.

“Oh yes, they are swarming it seems. Let me just…” The Doctor pulls out his sonic screwdriver and aims it at the emergency lights causing them to stop blinking and become brighter. It lights up the corridor to reveal hundreds of the Tarnakids coming towards them.

“Right, time to run!!”

The Doctor and Mark run through the corridor as the creatures could be heard getting closer and closer behind them. Mark stops and barrels through a door, pushing it open with his shoulder.

“Sir!”

The Doctor almost trips as he comes to a halt and then goes back following Mark through the door who quickly slams it shut and forces its heavy lock down. “That should hold them for a bit. This is the only way through to this area, they will have to double back and find a vent.”

“Good, now that I've had some good exercise, where is everyone else?”

“In the holding bay on the other side of the main hanger, we should get back there. It’s just up here a little ways and you should meet the base commander. He will be happy with the extra help.”

The door they had just come through leads out into an enormous hanger. There are various militaristic ships which all seem to be in a state of disrepair. Some even half dismantled and laid out strategically on the floor.

“So this is a military base?”

“More of a military training installation.”

“Could you tell me what planet we are on Mark?”

The Doctor noticed that for the first time since their encounter Mark had the look of confusion on his face.

“Planet, sir?”

“Well I didn't have time to check before I left my ship, too excited you see.”

"This is A420637 in the Coronus Asteroid Belt.”

“Ah I see, you have other colonies in the Asteroid belt?”

“We live on the asteroids, sir.”

“Why are you in need of military training facilities?”

“We've been fighting with the Skat. They live on the asteroids too, before we got here, I was told. They don’t particularly like our presence here.”

A banging from the other end of the hanger caused the Doctor and Mark to stop moving. Both being silent and listening more intensely to the darkness. Softly building noises could be heard echoing out from the far corner, noises that sounded like scrapping on metal.

“I don’t think they like our presence here either.” The Doctor said as Mark ran up to another door and banged on it quickly. The door was pulled open from the other side and Mark gestured for the Doctor. “In here, sir!”

“Now really Mark no need for this ‘sir’ business, the Doctor is just fine.” The two enter into a well-lit entrance area with a docking bay and storage rooms. There are groups of cadets sitting about restlessly.

“We are taught as soon as we are pulled for training to respect our elders and higher ranking officials.” Mark says leading the Doctor, who rolls his eyes, to a group of older official looking men who seem to be discussing something at harsh hushed tones.

As Mark approaches them they divert their attention to the cadet. The tallest out of the men briefly sizes up the Doctor before focusing on Mark. “You made it back cadet. Report.”

Mark makes a gesture with his hand in the air that must be their military signal before starting his explanation. “Yes Commander. The dorms and classrooms down through section 4B have been overrun causing devastation. The slime the creatures secrete has a sort of eroding factor. That’s how they've been able to break through the obstructions we’ve set up so far.”

The commander moved his focus on the Doctor who was looking about the area as if taking it all in. “was there anyone left down there?” The commander asked Mark without taking his eyes off the Doctor.

“I didn't find any others left alive, sir. I ran into the Doctor here on my way back. He answered our distress signal. ” The Doctor pulled his attention back to the conversation as Mark introduced him and put his hand out to shake the Commanders and smiled. “Yes, Yes, happy to help.”

The commander brushes Mark off with a hand gesture and Mark takes a few steps back as he’s been dismissed.

“Commander Dun,” he says finally taking the Doctor’s hand. “How did you get here Doctor? Did you find another way we could board your ship?”

“Oh no, I’m not that kind of doctor and I’m not from the hospital vessel. I came down in my own ship but mine is not very suitable for evacuations so we’ll have to find some way to get you lot onto that docked hospital. Mark tells me they won’t open their doors till the creatures have been contained?”

“That’s correct.”

“And that hanger we went through to get here, does that run the length of the base?”

“Yes it does but…”

“Good, good, does anyone have a map of the base I could look at?”

“Of course but I don’t think…”

Mark steps forward fumbling with a paper he’s pulled out of his pocket and hands it to the Doctor. “Here you go sir, was using it not to get lost back there in the darkness.”

“Good man, Mark.”The Doctor runs his finger across the map following the length of the hanger.

Mark watches the Doctor search the map. “What are you looking for sir?”

“Well it seems we need to block off the rest of the base somehow. Now, we can do that simply with some explosions and collapsing the structure in on itself…”

Commander Dun’s face suddenly turns red. “Wait just a minute…”

“But the main hanger is much too large. If only we could find…”

“We will not be exploding any of…”

“AH! Here! See that Mark? Another small corridor that runs the same length as the hanger! All the way through the base!”

“That’s the service tunnel I found you in sir”

“So it is Mark! Should be easy enough to find a way back to it then.”

“NOW WAIT JUST A MINUTE!”

The Doctor and Mark look up at the commander who looks furious. Commander Dun snatches the map from the Doctor’s hands.

“Cadet that is enough. Do you plan to destroy this base Doctor? Collapsing that corridor will break the air seal and render this base unusable!”

“Well it’s pretty unusable at the moment…”

“Cadet!” The commander throws the map back at Mark. “Take this Skat spy over to one of the quarantine rooms and watch him. We will question him later.”

“But sir I don’t think…”

“You aren't trained to think. You are trained to follow orders. Now do it.”

Mark makes a gesture to the commander again and grabs the Doctor’s arm pulling him away from the commander.

“Well he’s not a very nice fellow.” The Doctor says as he lets Mark lead him into a room off to the side. Mark locks the door and pulls the map back out pointing again at the service tunnel. “If you want to collapse the tunnel how will we lure all the Tarnakids behind it in order to trap them?”

The Doctor Smiles as he looks towards Mark. “Well Tarnakids are attracted to heat. That’s why they broke in here in the first place. If we can create a big enough heat source behind the tunnel then it should draw them to it.”

Mark points at various rooms deeper in the base behind the service tunnel on the map. “These are all storage rooms.” He shows the Doctor. “The ones with the extra uniforms and bed linens should burn easily if we disable the extinguishers.”

“Brilliant!” The Doctor says clapping Mark on the back. “So you don’t think I’m a spy, Mark?”

“Well if you were a spy I don’t think you would be trying to save us.” Mark walks over to the window on the door. “The commander is worried more about what this incident is going to look like in his monthly report then he is about the cadets he’s in charge of.” Mark says pointing to a group of huddled soldiers. Some looking like they couldn't be older than 12.

The Doctor looks through the window at the group. “Why, those are just children!”

“It’s hard to believe I looked that small when I was brought here. They take us for training as soon as we can reach the foot controls.” The Doctor sees the flash of sadness that briefly shows on Marks face before the soldier turns to him.

“We have to get everyone out of here Doctor. I was down there. I smelled the corpses. I saw what those creatures did to the others. Tell me what I have to do.”

“You called me Doctor!” Mark smiled at him and waited for him to continue. The Doctor shook his head, turned around and began pacing the room. “Right, okay, military base…” The Doctor stopped suddenly looking at Mark. “Explosives and flares! You have a weapons cache I assume?”

“Yes, there’s a weapons storage room across from the receiving doors.” Mark points out the window again at a door. The Doctor looks outside briefly before unlocking the door and pulling it open.

“Right, let’s go Mark, much to do!”

“WAIT!” Marks yells before quickly putting a hand over his mouth and catching up to the Doctor.

“Quietly Mark, don’t want to draw attention to ourselves.” The Doctor says smiling. The two reach the weapon storage room door and quietly slip inside.

The Doctor looks around the large room rather disgusted. Guns line the walls while shelves seem to fill the room, loaded with ammo and other devices built to hurt others. Mark walks past him and pulls a bag off a lower shelf. Unzipping it he pulls a small cylindrical disk out and holds it out to the Doctor.

“These have a smaller blast radius but their signal distance reaches farther then all the others. We should be able to put them along the whole tunnel and set them off at the same time.”

The Doctor takes the device from Marks hand and inspects it. “Hmm, we will have to position quite a few of these to collapse the whole tunnel but hopefully if we can set the fires it will keep the Tarnakids busy while we work. Do we have any flares? They are a sort of signaling device that uses a very hot flame.”

“No we use electronic lights that run on reusable batteries for signals but I can use a lower setting on my gun, the laser should set fires at the lower heat.”

“Excellent, glad I ran into you Mark!” The Doctor clapped excitedly and Mark smiled at him.

“We better get moving Doctor.”

“Quite right, the longer we wait the longer the Tarnakids have to erode the walls to get through to this side of the base. Grab the bag of minor deadly explosives and let’s move!” The Doctor pulled the door open rather loudly in excitement and as he and Mark stepped out of the room they garnered the attention of the superior officers still huddled together.

Commander Dun took a step towards them looking furious. “CADET! I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO TAKE THAT SPY TO QUARANTINE NOT GIVE HIM THE MEANS TO KILL US ALL!” The commander turned to the others in the room. “RESTRAIN THEM!”

Mark and the Doctor made their way quickly to the main hanger door. The doctor dodged a couple young cadets as Mark physically pushed some older ones out of the way. They reached the door and wrenched it open.

“SHOOT THEM!” The commander yelled as the Doctor and Mark dived through the open door and slammed it shut.

“The door is straight across, Doctor.” Mark said while looking around the dark hanger.

“I remember!” The Doctor yelled back at him disappearing into the darkness as he ran.Mark spots a giant metal storage unit big enough to block the entire door.

“Keep going, I’m right behind you!” Mark yells to the Doctor. He struggles to move the heavy storage unit but is successful just in time to hear what sounds like the door being blasted open and muffled yelling. Not wanting to hang around Mark ran to catch up to the Doctor who had reached the door on the other side of the hanger and was fiddling with the lock Mark had earlier fastened shut.

The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver once more and aimed it at the lock which opened the door instantly.

“How did you that?”

“No time to explain Mark! We have fires to set and explosives to set off!” The Doctor said smiling as he stepped through the door. Mark followed him laughing.

“Are you having fun, sir?”

“Much, yes! Just what I needed. My day started off so dull. Where’s the farthest uniform room then?”

“down here, should we keep running?”

“Of course Mark! Where’s the fun in it if you don’t have to run everywhere!”

“Running has always been a drill to me, not really fun in it.”

“Then you haven’t been doing it right Mark!”

The two jumped through another doorway and ran down a few hallways before getting to a small room towards the back of the base. They pulled the door open, entered the room and Mark pointed out the extinguishers along the ceiling which the Doctor quickly disabled using his sonic screwdriver. Mark, changing his gun to the lowest setting, aimed it at the stocked shelves full of freshly laundered uniforms and set them alight.

“Quickly Mark, we need to get back to that service tunnel and set the charges while the Tarnakids will all be heading here.”

“Yes, sir!”

The Two jump out of the room and run down the hallways again.

Mark laughs as they approach the tunnel causing the Doctor to look back at him. “What’s so funny back there?”

“You’re right Doctor, running is more fun this way.”

“Quite!” The Doctor says smiling. He reaches for the bag Mark is carrying and pulls out a bunch of the explosive devices, shoving them in his pockets. “Now you take the right side and I’ll take the left. Place these explosives every six meters and that should be enough to cut off this part of the base from rest.”

“Yes sir.”

“After you've finished I want you to make your way back to the main hanger, wait five minutes and then set them off. After that you should be able to get everyone else out and onto the hospital ship.”

“But sir, what about you?” Mark asks concerned.

“I’ll be fine, I’ll make my way back to my own ship.”

“But Doctor I don’t think it’s…”

“Are you ready Mark? We don’t have much time.” Mark stands straighter as if given an order. “Yes sir. Thank you.”

The Doctor smiles and puts a hand on Marks shoulder. “You’re a good kid Mark. You’re better then all this. Go do some good in this universe when you’re out of here, okay?”

“I’ll try Doctor.” Mark smiles at the Doctor as he pats the arm holding his shoulder. “Good luck.” He says before he turns around leaving the Doctor and vanishing into the darkened tunnel.

The Doctor nods his head and turns to his half of the tunnel. Racing down he throws a device onto the wall every few meters. When he reaches the end he places the last explosive while out of breath and barely hears the Tarnakid before it jumps at him!

“Why aren't you with the others!?” The Doctor yells at the creature while he dodges another attack.

Before the hissing creature can rear up again a laser blast comes out of the darkness and blasts the creature.

“We've been here before haven’t we Doctor?” Mark says smiling as he runs up to the Doctor holding out a hand to help him but the Doctor does not seem as amused. He takes Marks hand grudgingly.

“Mark you were supposed to be in the main hanger setting off the explosive!”

“Yes I was but I knew you wouldn't have gotten out in time. I’m a faster runner then you.”

“Impossible!” The Doctor yells looking insulted which makes Mark laugh.

“Well I've had more practice Doctor.”

“Also impossible.” The Doctor mumbled while pushing Mark back up the tunnel. “Hurry now we haven’t much time. The Tarnakids must have eaten through those uniforms otherwise that one you killed wouldn't have been down the tunnel.”

“Then there’s NO time!” Mark once again grabbed the Doctors arm and began pulling him through the tunnel as they both started running. The Doctor having barely caught his breath struggles to keep up with Mark. “Well perhaps you are in a bit better shape than I am but I have definitely had more practice!”

They reached the mid-section of the tunnel that led to the back of the base where loud hissing could be heard. Mark looked over to the right where the main hanger door was just out of sight and back to the Doctor who was Sonicing the emergency lights towards the back of the base trying to see where the creatures were hiding. When the lights spread far enough down and a slimy tentacle could be seen poking out from the darkness. Mark made his decision. He dove at the Doctor pushing them both farther down the corridor and slamming his hand down on the trigger setting off the explosives. He covered the Doctors body with his own to help protect him as debris fell on top of them.

When the sound in the Doctor’s ears returned he uncovered them and quickly went to move Marks’s unmoving body gently off of his own.

“Mark?! Mark you silly boy! Wake up!”

Mark stirred and opened his eyes slowly. “Are we alright?”

“Are we alright?! I’m fine! I’m not sure about yourself! Why did you do that Mark! I would have been fine on my own!”

Mark struggled to sit up and the Doctor helped to get him back on his feet. Mark Smiled slightly and shook some dust off of his clothes. “You saved everyone in the base sir, but who was going to save you?”

The smoke in the corridor dissipated quickly as a high whistling sound began. Mark and the Doctor looked behind them at the collapsed tunnel and saw the smoke disappearing through a small hole.

“Your commander would be happy to know that he was right, we broke the air seal. This way Mark!”

The two headed down the corridor, the Doctor leading the way while Mark watched the walls for movement. When Mark hears the scratching sound getting louder he aims his gun into the darkness and gets closer to the Doctor.

"The Tarnakids are heading this way, sir!”

“Yes I know but my ship is in a room just…..ah here! In here!”

The Doctor pulls open a door and Mark follows behind him watching the corridor and not turning to face the room until he had secured the door shut. When he does turn around the Doctor is nowhere in sight and he is faced with a giant bright blue wooden box. A great pounding on the door causes Mark to turn back around. The creatures begin swarming against it on the other side as the door quickly starts to erode in front of Mark who steps backwards hitting his back against the strange blue structure. Holes begin appearing in the door and Mark takes some quick shots through them hitting some of the creatures who are rapidly breaking through. Mark begins to panic and just as the door looks like it’s going to shatter the blue box opens and the Doctor’s head pops out.

“Come along Mark!”

Mark looks at the Doctor shocked still pointing the gun at the swarming creatures. The Doctor picks the gun out of Mark’s hands and throws it at the door. It hits one of the Tarnakids and the creature falls through the hole in the door onto to floor.

“These aren't allowed though.” The Doctor smiles as he grabs Mark and pulls him inside the wooden box. The Doctor Lets go of Mark once they are safe inside, slams the door shut and runs over to the console.

Mark looks back at the door that was shut worried. “Won’t they eat through that door as well?”

“Tarnakids can’t break into the TARDIS…I’m almost positive of it.”

“What’s a TARDIS?” Mark says turning around and looking at the whole room, his mouth falling agape.

“There is so much time to explain Mark, let’s have some fun instead shall we?” The Doctor starts fiddling with the controls on the console as Mark walks slowly over to him still staring at his surroundings.

“It sure is bigger on the inside, isn't it?”

The Doctor laughs. “Quite! Now you might want to hold on to something!”

“What are you doing?” The TARDIS jerks and a great wheezing sound comes from the console as the engines start up.

“Taking off!”

 

**To Be Continued...**

**Author's Note:**

> Stay tuned for more episodes to come!


End file.
